If you don't love me just pretend
by Blackswan86
Summary: He had to know that he made the right choice ... He had to find her again...
1. Greetings from Storybrooke, Maine

Hey Everyone, Here is my new story ... I am still writing In My Daughter's Eyes... but I fell in love with Emma/Neal pairing.

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**Greetings from Storybrooke, Maine**

_He threw his bag down of the door. He took a deep breath, exhausted from the long day at work. _

_The sound of thunder shook the room. The wind whirled through the open window, blowing his paperwork off his desk. He walked over to the window, cursing himself for leaving it open. _

_He reached up and tried to pull the window shut, but it would not budge. As he was struggling to close it his cell phone fell from his pocket down the fire escape. Frustrated he leaned against the window sill. Could the day get any worse?_

_The pile of post and bills on the window ledge caught his eye, making him sigh. Living an honest life was harder than he imagined._

_Suddenly a pigeon landed on the window sill. He stared at the bird which stared back. It seemed to be mocking him. Then he caught sight of something clutched in the bird's claw. A postcard. His hands began to tremble as he picked it up. He recognised the hand writing straight away. He shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't heard a word for so long…_

He turned the postcard over in his hands, for what felt like the thousandth time. It was now dark outside and the only noise that could be heard was sound of the rain tapping on the window.

The small bedside lamp is his room was dim making it difficult to see. It didn't matter though. He traced the single word on the card with his finger. He knew the shape of the letters off by heart.

He lifted his small whiskey flask to his lips, consuming the last of it. The warm liquid burned his throat as he swallowed. He could feel the tears building up in his eyes, but he would not let them fall.

He had learnt to hide his guilt and regret well, throughout the years but not today. Today he was at a loss.

He had not heard a word for so long. But now every time he read the word _'Broken'_ he could not stop the pain burning up inside of him. The torment of leaving her, the regret, he could not bear it any longer.

But he only had himself to blame. It was his fault. He knew she would be incredibly angry at the way he behaved, how he left her waiting for him.

He was now unable to hide the tears which welled in his eyes as he continued to turn the postcard over and over again in his hand.

He sat there in silence for a moment. The rain had now stopped and the only sound that could be heard was the ticking clock which filled the apartment. He slowly dragged himself to his feet**_._** He got up from the bed and walked over to the dream catcher which hung on the bedroom wall. He could still remember the day they found it.

It was at the very start of their relationship. They were both so happy, care-free. Both completely unaware of the heartbreak ahead of them**.**

He closed his eyes; he could still see her beautiful smile, her rosy cheeks and the way her innocence shone in her eyes. In that moment she was everything he had ever hoped for, every thing he would ever need. He thought back to that day.

_"Is this what you really want?" Her eyes searched his looking for truth. _

_"What I really want is you..."His voice husky and low, making her whole body shiver._

_He pulled her towards him pressing her close. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, instantly feeling the warmth of their bodies against one another._

He gave her that quirky smile as he gently lifted her chin until their noses were almost touching. She could feel the warmth of his breath brushing the top of her lip. She knew what was behind that quirky smile and it made her love for him grow even more.

_His hands moved to her hips, holding her as if she needed protecting. She held the back of his neck with one hand, while the other gently ruffled his dark scruffy hair. They moved closer so their lips could touch softly. _They breathed their love into each other in that kiss. That kiss; hard, but soft; fiery but cool; a split second but also felt like forever.

_Their kisses were normally heartfelt, gentle and soft but this was different. It was passionate and it sent a wave of heat between them. _

_They continued kissing when her fingers crept under his cotton vest pulling it up over his head. Slowly undressing they tumbled backwards onto the bed. _

_The true feeling of love and wonderment on their faces, hoping this feeling would never end. Unknown to both of them this was the last time they got to show their love to each other._

_"House-keeping!" A voice called out. _

_They quickly gathered their scattered clothes and belongings before climbing out the back window. _

_They both laughed as he twirled her round before wrapping his arms around her. He looked deep into her emerald eyes. He knew he loved her more than anything. It was always going to be like this, him and her forever._

He inhaled deeply, shivering at the memory. A tear escaped his eyes. He angrily wiped it away. Tears wouldn't ease the guilt. Nothing could. One minute his life was perfect, he had everything he could ever want and in the next it was gone.

He wished that he hadn't left; he should have gone back for her. Maybe if he had been honest with her, he could have helped.

He looked down at the postcard. 'Greetings from Storybrooke, Maine'…. He had to know that he made the right choice ... He had to find her again...


	2. Getting back to Normal

**Thank you for following and reviewing my story I really appreciate it... here is the next chapter.**

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**Getting back to Normal**

Emma drummed her fingers against the desk as she read through another list of filed complaints. She rubbed her temple as a headache began to form. Emma tried to concentrate on the paperwork in front of her. However it was far too early in the morning for this.

Her mind began to wander, remembering all the things that had happened in the last few months.

Snow and Emma had found another portal back to Storybrooke, but it had not been without great sacrifice. Cora and Hook were still out there. Emma knew the time would come again when she would have to fight back against evil to keep the most precious thing in her life safe.

But she did not want to think about it, she wanted to enjoy what she had now.

A smile began to form on Emma's face. She finally had everything she ever wanted, her family. They were not the most conventional family but they loved her and she loved them. She finally had a home where she was welcome. Fate had decided to be kind to her for once.

She could feel a pair of little eyes staring at her from across the room. Emma felt herself becoming self-conscious as the stare intensified.

She looked up to meet the staring eyes which belonged to her son. Henry quickly looked back down at his comic book hoping Emma hadn't noticed him looking at her.

Ever since she had made her way back home, Henry had refused to leave her side. Both of them wanted to be as physically close to each other as possible. Emma understood Henry's fear of being abandoned; it was feeling she knew far too well.

Emma worried that she was smothering her son too much. However they had already missed out on that early intimacy of mother and child which Emma was so desperate to get back. She caught Henry again peeking over his comic book at her.

Emma took a deep breath, "Ok Kid," she placed the file in her hand on the desk. "What is it?" She asked.

Henry's eyes darted back to his comic. "Nothing….." Henry replied unconvincingly as he nervously bit his lip.

Emma raised her eyebrow; she knew that curious look of his far too well to know it was nothing.

"Come on, out with it?" Emma asked trying to hide the concern in her voice.

Henry placed his comic down and looked up at his mother. "Well…. Can you tell me about the giant and the beanstalk again?" He asked his eyes lit up with excitement.

Emma chuckled slightly relieved it wasn't anything too serious. She playfully rolled her eyes. She had told Henry this story hundreds of times; nonetheless he never seemed to get tired of it.

Since Emma had been back, they had stayed up late most nights talking about Snow and her adventures in the Enchanted Forrest. Henry spent most of the time listening, occasionally interrupting when he recognised something from his book. His favourite story was Emma and the beanstalk.

Emma shuffled the files to one side making room on her desk. She indicated for Henry to fill the empty space. Henry smiled and raced over and sat down on the desk.

"Do you want to hear a really cool story?" Emma asked it a low whispered voice as if she was telling him a secret. Henry nodded as he leaned forward to hear more.

"Next time you see your Grandma, ask her about the time she stood up to an ogre." Emma smiled when she saw the look wonderment on his face.

"An Ogre?" He asked in amazement, his eyes widened in shock.

"Yup.." Emma nodded.

"Oh, is that the one where you shot your gun?" They both turn round when they heard a familiar voice behind them.

There stood Charming grinning in the doorway. He had been stood there for a while but did not want to interrupt the moment between his daughter and grandson.

Henry turned back to face Emma with a confused look on his face. "Why would you do that? Everyone knows they hunt by sound?" He asked shocked by his mother's actions.

Emma looked at Henry with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

"Really? Why does everyone know that but me?"

"It's in my book." Henry replied. Emma shook her head _I really need to read that book! _She thought to herself.

"Your grandma is waiting outside in the car to take you to school Henry." Charming said

Henry looked at Emma with pleading eyes. "Do I have to go?" He whined.

Emma looked up at Henry and gave him a sympathetic smile before she nodded, "Yes Kid."

She felt guilty every time she made Henry leave her but they had to get back to some kind of normality. However Henry's worried expression did not go unnoticed.

"Don't worry, Snow will be there." Emma put her hand over Henry's and squeezed in gently in encouragement.

Henry frowned "I'm not worried," he replied as he jumped down off the desk picking up his school bag.

Emma and Charming exchanged a concerned look; they both knew Henry was putting on a brave face.

Charming ruffled Henry's hair "Have a good day at school Kid." He smiled.

"I'll see you later." Emma called out as Henry walked out of the office. Emma kept her eyes on him until he was out of sight. Emma let out a deep sigh.

"Snow assisted on making us lunch," Charming said as he placed a brown lunch bag onto Emma's desk before moving over to his desk.

Crime was at an all-time low in Storybrooke. There was no real need for a deputy but secretly Emma wanted to spend time with her father but would never admit that. It also stopped her mother Snow from worrying about her as Snow knew Charming would not let anything happen to their daughter.

Emma opened the brown lunch bag. She scrunched her face up in disgust when she saw the healthy lunch Snow had put together. A small piece of paper inside the bag caught her eye. It was a small note from Snow.

_Have a wonderful day Emma… Remember to stay to out of trouble… Love Snow xxx _

Emma rolled her eyes; she did not know that parents still put notes in their children's lunches. Normally she would be annoyed that her mother was treating her like a child, but she could not stop the smile forming. She looked over to her father who had the same grin on his face.

"What did your note say?" Emma asked looking over at Charming.

"Um… Nothing important," Charming stuttered as he quickly stuffed the note into his pocket.

"Oh…" Emma replied puzzled. She noticed her father's cheeks turn a shade of pink as he tried his embarrassment.

"Oh!" Realisation hit her "Awkward." She muttered.

The atmosphere in the office became uncomfortable. Both of them wanted to talk but neither of them knew how to begin.

"How about we skip work this morning and go to the diner… hot chocolate my treat." Charming asked breaking the silence. Emma looked up from her paper work surprised

"Are you encouraging me to play hooky from work? What will Snow say?" She asked raising her eyebrow.

"I won't tell if you don't?" Charming replied with a smile

"Extra cream and cinnamon?" She responded.

"I'll even throw in a grilled cheese." Charming laughed.

"Well it will be rude not too." Emma replied as she stood up from her desk. Charming quickly grabbed his jacket.

"You lead the way princess." He chuckled when she heard Emma snorted at his comment.

Father and daughter made their way over to the diner. Unaware of the figure watching them from the distance.


	3. Jealously

**Hey, thank you for the reviews and follows I really appreciate it :) Hope you enjoy the new chapter... I would love to hear your thoughts...**

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**Jealously**

Neal sat on the train, his head lowered as he looked out of the window. It had not taken him long to decide to leave New York and go to Maine.

In a hurry he had pulled all his clothes off their hangers and shoved them into his bag without looking what he was packing. He stuffed the rest of his belongings and his most precious item, his dream catcher into his bag as well. He left the one bedroom apartment to catch the first train out of New York.

He sat in silence and watched the shapes of the passing buildings outside the window as the train raced by. He began to get lost in his own thoughts. The only thing on his mind was her.

_What happened to the dreams and fantasies they had?_ He thought. They had planned out their whole entire future in Tallahassee. He knew exactly want he wanted from her and their relationship but suddenly it was all ripped away from them. The last 11 years of his life had been a lie.

The hope of them being reunited and finally being together had become something he had clung onto over the years.

Separation from the only girl he had ever loved had practically torn him apart. Even after all these years he wanted nothing more than to be in her arms and feel the love they've once shared. He just wanted his old life back and to pretend that he had never made the mistake of walking away.

It was not only regret and sadness that filled his heart it was also fear. The fear she would reject him, even hate him. He knew all the apologies and declarations of love in the world would not erase the pain he must have caused her. He would be a fool to think otherwise. But he knew he had to at least try to finish what he started all those years ago.

Neal let out a large deep breath that he did not know he was holding. He slumped back against his chair. His eyes stung from tiredness. He had not slept much this he received the postcard. His whole body felt sore and tired. He looked a mixture of defeat and sadness.

He looked away from the carriage window and noticed a small child smiling at him from the opposite seat. The little boy had brown curly hair and a toothless goofy grin.

Neal forced a small smile back. He looked at the boy's mother; she looked the same age as his lost love. He quickly turned his head away, the thoughts of what could have been was killing him.

He straightened his body up and continued to look out the window. The train was pulling up to the station. This was his stop. As he exited the train he noticed the small boy again, running up to a man waiting on the platform. He picked the boy up, spinning him around in the air. The man then lean over and kissed the woman on the cheek.

The moment would have been touching if it weren't so painful to watch. That could have been him.

Neal knew he had to make the rest of the journey by foot. He no longer owned a car and funnily enough no transport went into Storybrooke. It was if the town did not exist.

After his long walk into town he checked into the only hotel he could find. After an odd exchange with the older woman at the desk he checked into his room. The older woman was suspicious of him. It was if she had never had a guest before.

He left the B&B early the next morning. There was no point in putting off the only reason why he was here. He had headed towards the local diner to get breakfast before starting his search.

His heart stopped when he saw her. Even though this was a small town he had not expected to find her so easily.

Neal looked at her from a distance. He was in complete and utter awe. She still looked as beautiful now as she did the first time he laid eyes on her.

Her hair was a golden blonde and it flowed down her back. She no longer wore it tied up in a ponytail like he remembered. He noticed her eyes, no longer hidden behind her glasses. Her eyes were bright emerald-green and full of life. She was even more beautiful than he remembered in his dreams.

He noticed the sheriff badge clipped to the top of her pants. He chuckled at the irony of it. That his once partner in crime, was now the keeper of justice.

Neal stared at her as she walked towards his direction. He felt his heart race as it thumbed hard against his chest.

He was just about to step out of the shadows when he saw someone with her. His eyes widen in shock.

He was completely horrified to see her with another man. The man had dusty dark blonde hair and looked a few years older than her. They both looked so happy and comfortable around each other.

He watched from the sidelines feeling utterly powerless and heartbroken that he been replaced.

They were laughing and joking, he could see her smile. It was the smile he thought she only showed to him. The man was wearing a deputy badge. He sighed she had found a new partner, who was the complete opposite from him.

Neal continued to stare as the mystery man opened the diner door for her. The man gently put his hand on her back before following her inside. He watched with a sinking heart as the two of them disappeared inside the diner.

Neal felt his heart fall at the contact between them. Such a simple innocent action, yet for him it hurt so much. It should have been him with her. His hand should have been on her not some stranger.

His thoughts now turned to anger and jealousy. He could not bear the thought of her with another man.

Neal knew he was being selfish to think she would wait for him all these years. It was foolish to think they could pick up from where they left off. After all he was the one who abandoned her, sent her to jail and shattered her heart into thousand pieces. Why would she wait for him?

He should be pleased that she was happy and had managed to move on with her life without him. She seemed to have made a good life for herself. The life he would have wanted her to have.

He knew he still loved her so much; but he would not want to hurt her all over again. He knew he had to walk away. He would again have to give up his own happiness for her. He turned to walk away when something stopped him in his tracks...


	4. The Yellow Bug

**Hey, thank you for all the reviews and follows :) **

**I have the next few chapters planned out so hopefully I'll be updating regularly. **

**Hope you enjoy the new chapter... would love to hear your comments.**

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**The Yellow Bug**

Parked up on the side of the road was a bright yellow VW beetle. Neal instantly recognised it. It still had the Geronimo Jackson bumper sticker in the window. The driver side door was slightly caved in. It probably had taken a few crashes over the years. He smiled, Emma was never very good at keeping her eyes on the road.

He walked over to the vehicle. Memories of the first time he met her still fresh in his mind.

_"What are you, some sort of misogynist?" Emma scolded completely offend by his comments towards the cop._

_Neal climbed over the backseat onto the passenger seat_

_ "You're welcome." He replied "Oh, go. We got lucky" He quickly added as he noticed the police officer still standing behind the car._

_ "We?" Emma asked with a confused expression. Then realisation hit her "This isn't your car either, is it? I stole a stolen car?"_

_A mischievous grin appeared on Neal's face. "Now, how about that drink?" He laughed._

Neal thought she would have sold it, used the money towards getting something better. He could not believe even after all this time; she still cared enough to keep it. In the short time they were together they had shared some great memories in that car. He smiled thinking back to their long car journeys, one in particular came to mind.

_Emma shifted in the passenger seat deliberately lifting her skirt up high to show her bare legs . She hid her smile when she noticed Neal take his eyes of the road and slightly glance down at them. _

_They were still refusing to talk to each other after one of their childish arguments earlier that day. _

_Emma lowered down the window and allowed the wind to blow her hair as the car drove down the motorway. _

_She leaned forward and stripped off Neal's hoodie that she was wearing. Emma knew exactly what she was doing to him and she was enjoying it._

_The yellow bug continued down the road taking them to their new destination. _

_Music started playing gently through the speakers, Neal smiled as the familiar tune started to play on the radio. He hummed along to the song distracting himself from Emma's attempts at teasing him. _

_When the chorus started he immediately turned the volume up._

_"If it makes you happy. It can't be that bad. If it makes you HAPPY Then why the hell are you so SAD?" Neal sang as loud as he could. _

_Emma couldn't help but giggle at him no matter how hard she tried not too. She was forgetting the reasons why she was mad at him._

_His voice was now drowning out the music as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel._

_Taking his eyes off the road again for a moment. He noticed Emma laughing at him. He reached down and grabbed two pairs of sunglasses that they stole from the last service station. _

_He dropped one pair into Emma's lap and put the other pair on. He grinned when he heard Emma's voice singing along with him. _

_"Well, okay, I made this up I promise you I'd never give up If it makes you happy It can't be that bad If it makes you happy….." They both sang loudly. They continue singing until they both burst out in laughter._

_Neal took one hand off the wheel and took hold of Emma's hand. He moved her hand to his lips and placed a small gentle kiss on her knuckles. He gave her another cheeky grin making Emma smile._

_"You're forgiven." Emma laughed and leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. _

_"Good to know," He winked. _

_The car passed another road sign directing them to Phoenix they were nearly at their new town._

Neal looked through the car window still smiling at the memory.

"Can I help you?" Neal jumped when he heard a voice behind him.

He turned round. Standing in front of him was the man he saw with Emma. Neal noticed he glaring at him. It was obvious that this man had taken an instant dislike to him.

Quickly thinking on the spot was something Neal had mastered in his days as thief. He smiled politely.

"Sorry, I was just admiring the car, it's a real classic… does it belong to you?" Neal was not sure if he wanted to hear the answer. But at least he would know the man's relationship to Emma.

"No, it belongs to my daughter, Emma." Charming answered. His arms crossed against his chest.

Neal nearly burst out with laughter as relief hit him. This man was her father; the whole age thing had thrown him. But then again nothing in this town shocked him. He felt foolish for jumping to conclusions.

Charming eyed Neal up suspiciously, he was confused to how this man could not know who Emma was. She had been their savior after all.

"Tell your daughter she has great taste in cars," Neal grinned.

"Well you can tell her yourself, she's right behind me," Charming turned to face the diner. Emma was coming out the door with two coffees in her hands.

"Who are you talking too?" Emma asked as she approached her father. Charming turned his head, the man had disappeared.

"There was a man here." Charming answered, his eyes searching for the stranger. Emma looked over Charming's shoulder, there was no one in sight.

"Did you recognize him?" She asked passing one of the coffees to her father.

"No, I never seem him before" He replied.

"Red did say someone checked into the B&B last night... apparently he's ruggedly handsome." Emma said as she rolled her eyes making her father laugh.

"Unfortunately I wouldn't know how handsome he was." Charming chuckled.

"Should we be worried?" Emma asked, Cora and Hook were still out there and anyone could have followed Snow and her through the portal.

"I don't know, but I think we should be extra cautious from now on." Charming replied trying to hide his concern in his voice, he did not want to worry Emma.

Emma nodded in an agreement. "Let's get back to the station." They continued their conversation as they headed back to the station.


	5. Flypaper for Nightmares

**Thank you for the reviews and follows :) I always appreciate hearing your feedback... Hope you enjoy the new chapter...**

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**Flypaper for Nightmares**

Neal sat in the dull room of the B&B he was staying in. The room had hardly any furniture in it. There was a small desk in the corner, a double bed and a window. The wallpaper had faded over the years and was now peeling away from the walls. There was a damp round the window frame which had spread on to the ceiling. Clearly no one had stayed in this room for decades. The room reflected what his life had become. Cold, dark and empty.

However this was all he could find at such short notice and it was only temporary. If could have easily found a small apartment to rent but that would mean giving himself false hope that he would stay the long-term. He hadn't even spoken to Emma yet.

He sat on the bed with his head in his hands. Seeing the car they once shared had given him hope. Maybe Emma was not entirely lost to him yet.

Neal shivered feeling a chill in the air. This was not how he dreamed his life would be like. If it wasn't for this insane curse they would be in Tallahassee, living the life they should have had. Thoughts of what might have been raced through his mind.

He would have worked day after day so they could had an honest life. They would have brought their own little house just on the outside of town. Maybe they could have married, had a family of their own. He knew he would only ever earn enough money for their food and clothes but they would have been happy. They would have been together. Neal tried to brush his thoughts aside, not wanting to let his imagination run away with itself.

He rubbed his temple with his fingers and closed his eyes. He led back on to the bed resting his head against the pillow. He tried to collect his thoughts together. It had been a long day.

Opening his eyes he looked up at the dream catcher above his bed. The dream catcher was the first and only thing he had unpacked last night. Neal knew he was unable to get a peaceful night sleep without it. He closed his eyes again.

_"Neal, Neal, wake up." Emma shouted with panic in her voice as she shook him._

_Neal's eyes shot open as he sat up from the backside of the car. His breathing was short but heavy. Beads of sweat ran down the side of his face. His eyes were wide as he looked round the car making sure he was back in this world. _

_He looked over at Emma's worried face. _

_"Shh.. sshh it's ok… it was just a dream," Emma whispered as she stroked his face tenderly. _

_Taking his face in her hands she lowered him down against her chest. They both led back against the seat. Emma wrapped her arms around his body holding him close to her. _

_"It's not real… It was just a dream…" she whispered again as she brushed her hand through his damp hair. _

_The sound of Emma's heart beating against his ear calmed him. His breathing slowed as sleep over took over him again._

_Emma never asked what had happened or what the nightmare was about. They would discuss it in time. For now she would just hold him in her arms until they both fell asleep._

Neal's eyes shot open once again. The room had now turned dark and it took a moment for his eyes to register where he was. He must have fallen asleep longer then he thought.

He looked at his watch it coming up to 11pm. He knew he would not be able to get back to sleep until he cleared his head.

He stood up from the bed and grabbed his jacket. He had no idea where he was going; he had to get away from this room.

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Henry's eyes shot open and he bolted upright in his bed. He had awoken from the same nightmare that had haunted him for weeks.

_It was always the same. Emma and Regina on opposite sides and he had to choose one of them. He had to choose fast or he would lose both of them. _

_He tried running after them but he did not know which one to run too. No matter how much he cried and pleaded they were fading away from him._

_He would hear them calling out his name before they disappeared forever. _

That's when Henry would wake. He could still hear their voices echoing around the room.

Henry rubbed his eyes, desperately trying to wipe away his tears. Every night it was the same dream; he would see the same images and would wake in tears.

Henry would never tell Emma or his grandparents about his nightmare. He was sure they had noticed the dark circles under his eyes and his reluctance to go to bed at night. However they never questioned it.

He looked round the room he now shared with his mother. When Emma returned they decided to change her double bed into two twin beds. Emma thought Henry was too old to share a bed with his mother.

Henry looked over to the empty bed next to his and sighed. He looked towards the bedroom door. He could see the light from downstairs creeping in from beneath the door. He could hear the sound of his mother's and grandparents voices coming from downstairs.

Still trembling from his nightmare, Henry swung his feet out of the bed on to the cold floor. The bedroom door creaked slightly as he opened it. Quietly Henry sneaked along the hall letting the light guide his way He tried to control his sobs as he made his way down the stairs. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs unable to move any further into the room. His tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

Emma and Snow were sat on the sofa quietly chatting as they sipped their mugs of hot chocolate. Charming sat at the kitchen table reading his book. All three of them were unaware of Henry presence.

Sudden feeling the presence of somebody else in the room Emma stopped her conversation and looked at the direction behind her.

She squinted slightly as she tried to focus on the small figure in the dark shadows of the stairs. It took a moment for her mind to register that the shivering figure belonged to Henry.

"Henry?" She called out, noticing that the small boy was too afraid to step out into the room.

Both Charming and Snow instantly stopped what they were doing and looked over to him as well.

Henry could no longer hold back his sobs and cried out. Hearing her son's cries Emma leapt off the sofa and raced over to him.

"Henry? What happened?" She asked wrapping her arms around his trembling body.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Henry nodded gently as the tears continued to fall.

"Come on kid, let's get you back to bed," She whispered softly to him. She glanced over her shoulder and shared a small smile with her parents before taking Henry back up the stairs. Both Snow and Charming looked at each other with concern.

"Come here kid?" Emma whispered as she lifted back the blankets on her bed. Quietly Henry shuffled his way toward his mother's bed. Emma lifted her arms to meet him before pulling him down on to the bed with her.

She wrapped her arms tightly round Henry. He cuddled his body into hers and rested his head on her chest listening to her heart beat.

"Shh…It's ok kid. It'll be ok now... I promise you…" She whispered as she gently stroked her hand through his hair

"Shhh...You are safe now; I'm never leaving you again." Emma whispered softly to him before placing a kiss on top of his head.

Emma cradled her son in her arms as she gently rocked him as if he was still an infant. She didn't ask her son what the nightmare was about. All she could do was hold and protect him the best she could. Henry's breathing slowed as sleep overtook his exhausted body. Once Emma knew he was asleep she gently closed her eyes.

The bedroom door creaked open once again as Snow tiptoed into the room. She was carrying a lit candle. She gently placed the candle down on the bedside table. Snow pulled the blanket up over her sleeping daughter and grandson before placing a kiss on Emma's head.

Quietly she made her away out of the bedroom leaving them to their slumber.


	6. Deals and Strangers

**Hey Everyone. Thank you for all the reviews and follows. **

**I'm building up to Emma and Neal's reunion which should happen in the next few chapters so I hope you stick with me until then :) **

**Hope you enjoy the new chapter**

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**Deals and Strangers **

Emma sat at her desk in station. She had sent Charming home over an hour ago. As much as she enjoyed her father's company she worked better alone.

Emma leant over her desk as she flicked through her mountain of paperwork. Every now and again she would stop to brush her fringe out of her eyes and rub her temple with her fingers. She was starting to grow frustrated with the absurd amount of complaints she had to deal with. It seemed everyone in the town had something to moan about.

She pushed the paperwork aside and leaned back in her chair as she chewed the end of the pen that was in her hand. She now wished she hadn't told Charming to home.

Emma glanced over to the photo frame on her desk. The photo was of Henry. He was wearing his school uniform and had that big goofy smile. Just looking at her son brought a smile to her face. Her heart always fluttered a little when she thought of him. Emma had finally found that missing purpose in her life.

A sound of someone coughing snapped her out of the moment she was having. Her head spun round to face the direction the voice came from.

Mr Gold stood in the door way. He was dressed smartly in one of his suits and was holding a file in his hand.

"What do you want Gold?" She warily asked. Emma folded her arms over her chest to shield herself from him.

"I'm in need of your assistance Miss Swan." He replied smirking at her. He made his way towards her desk.

Emma shivered; she did not know what it was about this man then made her skin crawl. How dare he ask for her help after everything he had put her through. He even risked her son's life for his own gain.

"Now why would I want to help you?" Emma replied as her eyes narrowed. Dealing with Gold was like playing game. She did not want to show him how much he got to her.

"I think you're forgetting something. You owe me a favour. Dearie." He sneered. Emma hated his patronising manner. She hated it more that she was in his debt.

Emma leaned forward in her chair, "Ok, I'm listening," She sighed heavily.

"I need you to find someone for me." Gold replied.

"Really? Is that it? Why do you need me for that?" Emma asked. She was slightly surprised that this was all he wanted. She was half expecting it to be a dangerous mission.

"Because you can do something that I can't, you can leave this town." He replied trying to hide the frustration in his voice. This did not go unnoticed by Emma and she was going to use this to her advantage.

"And if I find this person, that's it the debt is paid off?" Emma questioned.

"You have my word Miss Swan."

Emma eyed him for a moment to make sure he was not lying to her. He had tricked her before and she was not going to make the same mistake again.

"Ok." Emma replied taking the file from his hand.

"Who is this person?" She asked. Emma wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer. When it came to Mr Gold she was better off not knowing. Whoever it was they must be important for him to use his favour on them.

"No one that concerns you." He sneered back making it clear that the conversation was over. Mr Gold made his way out of office.

Emma was about to start looking through the file when she noticed the clock on the corner of her desk. _Where had the time gone?_ She was meant to be meeting Henry after school. Emma had agreed with her parents that one of them would be there every day to escort Henry home from school, until they were sure it was safe. Today was Emma's turn and she was over half an hour late.

"Damn it" She shouted out loud. Emma threw the file down on the desk, grabbing her car keys she raced out the door.

* * *

Henry had waited for Emma for over an hour. All his class mates had gone home by now and he had missed the last school bus.

Henry knew he should really go and find Snow. She would be in her classroom. Snow had decided to continue her teaching job in an attempt to keep things as normal as possible for Henry.

It annoyed him that his family assisted on taking and picking him up from school. He understood they were concerned about him but they were completely over reacting.

Not wanting to wait any longer. Henry made his way down to the docks. Since his castle was demolished in the stormthe docks had become his new place to go. He knew nobody would come looking for him there.

He walked further down the dock until he saw an unfamiliar figure sat on the bench. Henry knew he should have kept on walking but he's curiosity got the better of him. He made his way over to the bench. Henry put his school bag down on the floor and took a seat.

Needing to clear his head Neal had decided to go for a walk. It felt as if the walls of the B&B where closing in on him.

He had not planned where he was going only that he need to get some fresh air. He had somehow ended up the docks.

Neal had sat down for a moment to take in his surroundings. He could not stop thinking about Emma. He had no idea how to approach her or what his next move would be. He did not imagine it would be this hard.

He was completely lost in his thoughts that he did not notice that someone had joined him on the bench until he heard the sound of a loud yawn.

Neal looked over to see a small boy sitting next to him. Neal was slightly taken back as the boy was staring right at him with a funny puzzled face.

"You alright Kid?" He asked.

Henry looked the man up and down again before answering "My mom told me not to speak to strangers."

Neal chuckled; this kid was a bit cheeky he thought. "Your mom is a smart lady."

Henry continued to stare at Neal. "I've not seen you before." Henry said

Neal was not sure if this was a question or not but he smiled anyway, "I'm new in town."

He noticed a shocked look appear on the boy's face. It was like he had never seen a stranger before. All the people in this town seem to act strange. Neal noticed another yawn escape the young boy's mouth.

"You looked tired kid… Trouble sleeping?" Neal asked. He knew the signs all too well.

"Yeah kind of, "Henry sighed. There was no point in hiding it. "How did you know?" He asked.

"I was the same when I was your age." Neal smiled.

"Did you ever get over?" Henry asked hoping this stranger would give him some hope. 

Neal smiled. For some strange reason he felt an attachment to this boy. He could not understand why. Maybe it was because he reminded him so much of himself

"Have you ever heard of a Native American dream catcher? Neal asked. Henry instantly shook his head. He shuffled closer to Neal to find out more.

"It's like a magic charm to protect people from nightmares." Neal did not know why he was telling him this story. He had never spoken about it to anyone.

"A bit like flypaper for nightmares?" Henry asked. Neal looked at Henry in surprise. He was taken back by the comment.

"Yeah just like that."He laughed,

"Where did you get it from?" Henry questioned

"A very long time ago someone very special to me found it and gave it to me..." Neal came to a halt. His eyes dropped a little. Even talking about her made his heart ache. Henry noticed the sadness appear in the man's eyes.

"Was she your true love?" He asked as a warm smile appeared on his face.

Neal did not know what to say He didn't think anyone believed in true love anymore. That only existed in fairytales. However after seeing the hope in the boy's eyes Neal did not want to ruin his innocent fantasy.

"I just haven't seen her for a very long time." He replied avoiding answering the question.

"Is that why you have come here to find her?" Henry asked, his excitement growing.

Neal raised his eyebrow "You're a smart kid."Henry laughed as he nodded in agreement.

"You should speak to my mom, she's good at finding people… it's kind of a family trait." Henry suggested.

"I might just do that… I'm Neal." Neal reached his hand out towards Henry.

"Henry," Henry took Neal's hand shaking it

"It's nice to meet you Henry." They both smiled.

"I better get home," Henry said jumping up from the bench. Neal nodded.

Henry started walking back along the dock. Before he got to the end he turned around again. "I hope you find her. "He called back to Neal

"Thanks Kid." Neal called back.

He kept his eyes on Henry until he was out of sight. Neal sighed to himself. He knew he could not keep hiding away in his room forever. It was time he faced up to the reason he had come to this town.


	7. Unwanted Surprises

**Thank you all so much for following my story. Thank you especially to those who have reviewed I do appreciate every one of them :)**

* * *

**Unwanted Surprises**

Emma bit her lip nervously as she kept looking over at clock. Each second that ticked past meant it was getting later and darker outside.

She could feel her stomach churning with worry. _Please let Henry be OK_, she prayed silently. If anyone had hurt her son she would kill them.

"Calm down Emma. We will find him." Snow said as she gently rubbed Emma's shoulder. She was trying to reassure her worried daughter.

Emma could kick herself for losing track of time. Maybe Regina was right. She wasn't ready to be a mom. Maybe Henry was better off with her.

"It's my fault, I shouldn't have been late." Emma muttered as she paced up and down the front room, burning a hole in the floor.

Emma slumped down onto the sofa putting her head in her hands. She kept crossing and un-crossing her legs several times unable to keep still.

"I can't just sit here and await I'm going to go look for him." Emma could not stand waiting any longer. She needed to do something.

"I'm coming with you." Charming said reaching for his jacket.

The sound of the door creaking open made all three of them stops in their tracks.

"Henry!" Emma gasped. She rushed over him wrapping her arms around him tightly nearly knocking him off his feet.

Breaking the hug Emma knelt in front of her son. "Where were you… you know to wait at the gates for one of us… Anything could have happened."

Henry's eyes fell to the floor, "I'm sorry, you weren't there and I just wanted to clear my head." He sadly answered .

"I'm sorry too kid, I shouldn't have been late." Emma replied apologetically, it was her fault as well.

"I'll go and call Regina, let her know he's home safe." Charming said. He picked up the phone and disappeared into the bedroom.

"Henry. You can't just walk off again without telling one of us ok? It's not safe." She said as she took his face in her hands. She made Henry look into her eyes. Emma wanted to make sure he understood how important her words were.

"And it saves me get a lecture from Regina about my lack of parenting skills." She quickly added. Henry smiled and nodded his head.

"Go get yourself cleaned up before dinner." Emma ordered and pushed him towards the stairs.

"Ok…" Henry huffed, walking to the stairs. "Oh Emma, before I forget… can we get a dream catcher?" He asked.

Emma's breath caught in her throat. If felt like she could not breathe.

"What?" She choked out. This was the only word she could manage to say. She tried to hold back the tears that stung her eyes. She had pushed all her memories of him to the back of her mind but now she could picture him clearly as if he was standing in front of her. Her reaction did not go unnoticed by Snow

"A dream catcher its…"

"I know what it is." Emma interrupted. "Why do you want one?" Her voice was no more than a whisper.

"Too help with my nightmares." Henry replied slightly confused by Emma's reaction.

Emma took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Ok kid." She answered finally gaining her composure.

Once Henry had disappeared upstairs, Snow turned to her daughter.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"What?" Emma replied trying to pretend nothing had happened.

"With Henry?" Snow asked, she was not going to let Emma shrug her off.

"Nothing." Emma saw Snow raise her eyebrow. "It just reminded me of something."

"Something or someone?" Snow knew she was prying but she could not stop herself. She was worried about Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes. She knew her mother would not drop it and she was not in the mood to have this conversation.

"I'm heading back to the station; I need to do something for Gold." She replied picking up her car keys.

"Gold?" Snow raised her eyebrows again but this time in surprise.

"It's nothing to worry about trust me… I don't know how late I'll be so go ahead with dinner."

"Emma… Just go careful." Snow warned.

Emma shared a warm smile with Snow. Emma let out a deep breath she did not know she was holding as the door closed behind her.

* * *

Neal groaned he could not think straight due to the continuous thumping in his head. He had been unable to shake off the headache that had driven him crazy all day. All he wanted to do was to clear his head and make sense of his feelings for Emma.

He had spent most of the day trying to put into words how he felt. But even in his own head none of it made sense. He got up from his bed and shrugged on his coat. He had to get out of his room.

He slammed the door behind him and walked out onto the street. Neal did not know where he was going. It was strange but he felt like something was pulling him along. It was if he could sense something drawing him. With no idea where he was headed. Neal decided to let his feet carrying him.

Neal shuffled along the path, not caring about where he was heading or how late it had become. He still had this strange feeling that he was being lead somewhere.

Neal came to a stop when he reached the end of the road. He looked up in surprise. He was standing outside the Sheriff's office. Neal stood there silently staring at the light coming from the window.

* * *

It was almost 10pm and Emma was becoming restless. She had been working on Mr Gold's file for hours and was no further forward from when she stared.

She picked up the file again and read it for the hundredth time. Emma sighed heavily and brushed her fringe from her eyes. Whoever this person was they had made sure it would be almost impossible to find them. But she knew she couldn't give up.

Maybe her mind just wasn't on the job. Emma could not stop thinking about Henry. She had been apart from her son for hours now. She could not stop worrying about him. His nightmares were getting worse and there was nothing she could do to help him. She felt powerless. All she could do was be there for him and she wasn't ever doing that at the moment.

She jumped a little when her phone beeped in her pocket. Emma pulled her phone out. She had one new message .Her fingers hovered over the buttons for a moment before opening the message.

_I've been to Granny's and got you something to eat; I'll pop it into the office on my way home. And Henry is fine so stop worrying Snow xx _

Emma leant back in her chair and smiled at her phone. Emma felt relieved that her son was safe with her parents. Her stomach began to rumble a little, she did not even realise that she was hungry. She wondered if perhaps Snow knew her a little too well.

The office door slowly began to open.

"Wow that was quick," Emma laughed as she looked up from her phone. Her smile instantly dropped and her whole body froze.

"Hello Emma…"


	8. Running Away

**Sorry for leaving the last chapter on cliff-hanger, it seems to be becoming a habit ;)**

**Thank you again for the reviews and followers… I really appreciate them and I always like hearing your feedback.**

**If anyone is following my other story 'My daughters eyes' I plan to update again shortly. **

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**Running Away **

Emma kept her eyes on Neil. It had been so long since they last saw each other. Her eyes looked all over him. He had not changed physically but he looked older, more refined. He still had messy dark hair and that irritating cheeky look on his face. Yet there was sorrow in his eyes.

Neal was staring back at her with almost the same thoughts in his head. The spark of innocence had gone from her eyes. She looked stronger, wiser and less naïve.

They were shadows of their former selves. Both of their eyes carried a sadness that neither of them could understand. They stared at each other for what felt like hours.

Neal could not help but smile as Emma slowly began to get up from her desk.

Emma could hear her heart beating loudly in her chest as she began to approach him. Neal watched as she slowly came closer. He saw her hand reach out towards him. He closed his eyes waiting to feel her soft touch once again against his rough skin.

Emma raised her hand and slapped Neal across his face as hard as she could. She could feel her hand stinging from the impact.

Neal opened his eyes in complete shock; he raised his hand to his cheek. A red mark was clearly visible where Emma's hand had hit him.

"It's nice to see you too…" He joked trying to laugh it off but his face felt like it was on fire. He was slightly glad to see she had not lost her fiery temper.

Emma turned her back away from him as she desperately tried to hold back her tears. She did not want him to see her cry.

She was in complete shock. _What was he doing here? _Her head started to fill with memories of him, the pain she felt when he left and all the humiliation he caused her.

"Emma… please," he whispered stepping forward, still holding his cheek.

He gently put his hand on her shoulder. The simple touch sent a pulse racing through both of them.

"Don't touch me…" Emma shouted as she spun round to face him. She crossed her arms over her front, using it as a shield to protect herself from him.

The tears threatened to fall from her eyes; it took all her strength not to cry. Emma had cried so much over him in the past, she was surprised she had any tears left for him.

"Baby, come on..."

"Don't call me that." Emma shivered at the word 'baby.' This word once made her feel alive, sexy and special. But now she hated it, it made her feel uncomfortable.

Neal was not going to give up. He gently turned Emma round to look at him. Emma kept her eyes on the floor refusing to make any eye contact with her former lover. His eyes were always her weakness.

_Why was he looking at her like that? _She thought.

For years she had longed to see him again. To tell him how he hurt her in every way possible, but all these angry feelings were beginning to slip away. She almost allowed herself to take a step forward into his arms and forget everything.

Neal moved his hand to brush against her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips. Daringly he leaned forward until their lips were nearly touching. Emma could feel his warm breath on her skin.

"Hey Emma… They didn't have grilled cheese so I got you…" Snow called out as she walked into the office. She instantly stopped when she saw the stranger with his hands on her daughter.

For one moment there had only been the two of them. Emma was so close to allowing herself to fall into his arms. But now Snow had interrupted them it snapped her back to her senses. Emma pushed Neal away from her.

The atmosphere in the room had become uncomfortable. Emma could feel his eyes watching her but she dared not looked at him.

Neal kept his eyes on Emma. He desperately needed her to look at him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go.

Snow looked at the man. He was just as distressed as Emma. There was something about him that reminded Snow of someone but she couldn't place who. Whoever he was, he was clearly upsetting Emma.

"Emma... What's going on?" Snow asked breaking the silence. Snow looked from her daughter to this man and back again. She did not understand what was going on. _How did this man know Emma?_

Emma did not know how to begin to explain what was going on, when she did not understand the situation herself.

"Nothing! I'll explain later," Emma muttered. She was still trying to process what was happening. The last time she had seen Neal he had cruelly abandoned her, left her to take the fall and now he was here acting as if nothing had happened.

Emma could feel the intensity of both Neal and Snow's eyes on her. She was losing control of the situation and most importantly her emotions.

"Come on Snow, we're going." Emma needed to get away. She needed time to think and compose herself.

Emma moved towards her mother. Snow gently put her arm around Emma's shoulder. She had no idea what was going on but she knew her daughter needed her support.

"Emma please don't walk away," Neal called out his voice sounded desperate. He was not letting go, not again.

Emma's body froze again at the sound of his voice. Her head and heart conflicted. Her head was telling to walk away and not to waste anymore of time on him. However her heart was screaming out for him.

She felt her chest tighten. _NO Emma walk away!_

"Emma!" He called her name again.

"Who are you? What is going on?" Snow snapped. Whoever this man was, she was causing distress to her daughter.

Neal did not know what to say. _Lover? Friend? Stranger?__ He had no idea who he was anymore._

Emma faced her mother, "He's no-one," She whispered. Emma could not believe what she just said. How could Neal be no-one? He was the father of her child, the man she would have spent her life with. He was the reason she was so closed off to everyone.

However Emma could not tell Snow who he really was. How could she tell her mother that she had foolish fell in love with this man, let him use her than he threw her away when he got what he wanted. She felt so ashamed.

Neal felt as if Emma had driven a dagger straight through his heart. He watched as Emma hurriedly dragged the other woman out of the office.

There was no way he was going to let Emma just walk away from him. He had waited 11 years to see her. He had come to close now to let this be it.

He followed them out of the office. Snow began to get into the driver's side of the car, her daughter was to distress to drive.

Emma was about to climb into the car when she felt his hand grab her arm.

"Emma.." He whispered in her ear. Emma's body shuddered. Even after all these years the sound of him saying her name made her weak.

Emma turned and locked eyes with him. Her heart was racing. A tiny part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him. But she fought back against her impulses.

"Just go.." She choked out as the tears finally began to fall.

It took all Neal's strength to let go of her arm. Emma turned her back to him and climbed into the car.

Neal placed his hand on the car window. His tears began to roll down his cheeks.

Emma closed her eyes; she could not bear to look at him. Snow turned to her daughter. Seeing her daughter so distressed broke her heart. She had no idea what to do.

"Emma," Snow said.

"Just drive." Emma whispered.

Her instincts were telling her to get out of the car and speak to him. Find out why he was here and what he wanted from her. But there was a little voice in her head telling her to leave him, to make him feel how she felt.

She was so confused, upset and angry. Emma did not think it was possible to feel all these feelings all at once. She kept her eyes firmly shut as the car pulled away from the station.

Neal stood in the middle of the road watching the car disappear into the distance. His cheek was still throbbing and his heart was racing. He knew he could not run away again. This time he would stay and fight for her.


	9. Conflicted

**Hey, A massive sorry it has taken me ages to update this story... I am still writing for it and have lots planned so I hope you continue reading and following.**

**Thank you for all your reviews. I really appreciate every one of them. Sorry if this chapter isn't up to scratch I'm still trying to get back into writing this story... Anyway hope you enjoy reading :) **

* * *

**Conflicted**

The apartment door swung open making Charming jump up from the sofa in surprise. By habit he reached down to grab for his sword but quickly remembered it was no longer there. Just as he looked back up his daughter rushed past him at such a speed it nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Whoa…" He shouted at her as he dodged out of way. Charming watched as Emma raced up the stairs. disappearing out of sight.

The loud bang of the bathroom door slamming shut echoed around the apartment. Charming turned to face Snow who was standing by the front door.

He raised his eyebrow questionably at her, "OK what have I missed?" He asked.

Snow shrugged, "I have no idea…" The confused expression on her face matched the same one her husband had. Emma had not said one word to her about the stranger in the office. They had sat in silence all the way home. "But we're going to find out." She added as she started to unbuttoned her coat.

Emma turned the lock on the bathroom door, locking it behind her. She hoped Snow would not follow her up the stairs to talk; she just wanted to be on her own. She dealt with things better that way.

She had instantly regretted slamming the door now and hoped it had not disturbed her sleeping son. Emma couldn't deal with her Henry's questions as well as her mothers right now.

Emma leaned her back against the door for support. She could feel the fear and panic rising in her chest, her lie to Henry was starting to come undone at such a pace she felt powerless to stop it. She just needed a minute to think, to get her head together.

Emma sat down on the closed toilet seat lid. She could still feel her hands shaking from the shock as she covered her eyes; burying her face in her hands.

She desperately tried taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down but her heart continued to beat hard inside her chest. It felt like her whole world had just fallen apart in the matter of seconds.

Emma breathed slowly in and out again as she tried to calm herself down. Fresh tears began to silently roll down her mascara smudged cheeks. Her hand reached up to her necklace. Her fingers grasped round the Swan Charm pulling it close to her heart. She closed her eyes tightly trying to stop more tears from falling. But all she could see when she closed her eyes was Neal's face in front of her with that sad look in his brown could still feel his warm breath on her skin. A tiny nervous laugh left her lips, he still had that annoying but charming smile. .

She could not understand why he had come back into her life now? No much as a word in eleven years. So why now? Why did he have to wait until she was finally happy? She had spent years looking for him. She had even spent two years in Tallahassee hoping to find him but there was no trace.

She hated the fact that her heart still ached for him, even after all these years. Every fiber of her body screamed at her to run back to him, to take him back and forgive everything.

_No!_ Her mind screamed at her. She had to push these feeling for him away. Bury them again. Too much had happened for them to go back to how they used to be. She was stronger now. He had hurt her in every way possible and there was no way she would forgive him. So why did she feel so conflicted?

Emma felt like she could no longer trust her heart anymore. She had been hurt and rejected so many times in the past to let it happen again. She had to protect herself from him and more importantly protect Henry. There was no way she was going to let Neal hurt her son.

Emma sighed heavily and stood up from the toilet seat. She could still feel her legs shaking. Emma placed her hands down onto the sink to help support her body. She looked up at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Neal had only been back in her life for five minutes and she was already a mess.

Picking up the cloth next to the sink she began scrubbing away the smudged makeup from her face. She wanted to make sure she was presentable before leaving the bathroom.

Once her face was clear of her makeup she sighed heavily to herself. She did not want to go back down stairs to face her parents but she could not avoid them. Emma glanced over to the bath, maybe she could hide in here tonight. She could fall asleep in the bathtub and use the towels as blankets.

However she knew her parents would come looking for her. It had surprised her that they had left her alone this long already. She was half expecting her father to break down the bathroom door by now.

Emma clumsily unlocked the door and made her way out of the bathroom. She had to face up to the past she had been running from for so long.

Before going down stairs Emma decided to check on Henry. She gently pushed open the bedroom door. Henry was sleeping peacefully. Emma could not help but smile when she saw her handsome little boy sleeping curled up in his bed.

The light from the candle shone on his face. _He must have had another bad dream._ Emma thought to herself. She so desperately wanted to climb into the bed next to him and wrap her arms around him. Hold him close to her and never let him go. But instead she softly placed a small kiss onto of head. "I'm so sorry Henry," She whispered into his ear before quietly leaving the room closing the door behind her.

Emma could hear her parents muffled voices from the top of the stairs, it was clear Snow was telling Charming about what had happened.

"I'm sure Emma will tell us in her own time, just don't push her Snow." Emma heard he father say. She rolled her eyes. It was not in her mother's nature not to push, but she was thankful for her father's support. Taking another deep breath _Here goes nothing..._

Charming and Snow where now sat at the kitchen table. Snow had informed him of what had happened at the station and they had spent the few minutes trying to figure out who was the stranger that had their daughter so distressed.

But they really had no idea. Was he someone she grew up with? An old friend? He hadn't seemed like a danger or fret to Emma, but then again what did they really know about her past life?

Emma slowly made her way down the stairs, shuffling her feet as her eyes stared down at the floor. She knew her parents were looking right at her as she reached the bottom of the stairs. But in true Emma style she chose to ignore their worried looks and made her way over to the kitchen.

Charming and Snow followed Emma with their eyes as she took a glass from the cupboard and poured herself a drink. They both exchanged a concern look. Emma was avoiding. Charming sighed to himself he knew exactly what his wife was about to do.

"Emma?" Snow pleaded as she desperately tried to get her daughter to look at her.

Emma turned body to face her mother but her eyes stayed fixed to the ground. She too knew what was coming next.

"What is going on...Who was that man?" Snow asked.

Emma sighed, it was time to stop lying. She looked up at her mother, the tears threaten to fall from her eyes again. "His Neal is Cassidy…" Her voice was a mere whisper.

Snow and Charming looked at each other, they did not recognize the name. Emma nervously chewed her lower lip. "He's Henry father…"


End file.
